Music News: Fitness headphones

7 September 2015

Not sure which headphones are the best to help you get through your hardcore workouts? Do you go for wireless? Over the ear? Inner ear? Argh! Well, never fear, as our mate Tom Wheatley of the
Allrounder has done the research for you.

There are certain items that any bona fide fitness aficionado needs to take seriously. Trainers are a no-brainer, get the wrong ones and you'll end up hobbling about like some you've just wandered back from 'Nam. Training shorts, because we all know that feeling when you've things have been rubbing together to the point where you're walking like a cowboy to stop the pain. But, whether you're a runner, a gym addict or just taking a brisk walk home, the thing you need to take really seriously are headphones.

Yes, you can use those one you got free with your iPhone, but, as we all know, they're pretty pointless. Fine if you're sat in a silent cottage somewhere on the moors, but when you're trying to focus on your next set, or finish the last few kilometres of a run, you don't want all that peripheral sound.

Here we've chosen our best pick of 2015's best sports ear wear, and trust us, there's a hell of a lot of good ones out there, it wasn't easy. But the next time you're stood next to a couple of blokes loudly grunting their way through a superset, you'll want to thank us.

Workout fashion looks pretty good these days, really good in fact – we spend more on gym kit than we do on evening wear. So the last thing you want is a pair of headphones messing up your latest outfit. Here's where Urbanears come in. A collection of earbuds and headphones in a, quite frankly, ridiculously large range of colours and all available behind the front desk at Gymbox.

But it's not all just about the look. The Plattan headphones are collapsible, so they fit nicely into your bag or pocket, they have a socket in the ear cap so your friends can plug in to whatever you're listening and they have an in-built mic (there's even a wireless option). Alternatively go for the Medis Moss ear buds for a more subtle look. An they sound great as well.

We all know the inherent problems with wires; the weird unexplainable knots, those moments when you catch them on something and they're ripped out of your ears, or, one we struggle with, when you trap them in the car doors and they become instantly unusable.

Enter the wireless earbuds. Yes, you need to charge them and make a conscious effort to check you haven't left them on a seat when you get up. But the sheer freedom of not being connected to your phone or player is amazingly liberating, especially when you're doing fitness.

The Jabra Sport Pulse are the crème de la crème. Well built, a sleek design, ridiculously comfortable, and a sound quality far beyond what we'd have expected. Add in a user-friendly bluetooth set-up (tethering a bluetooth device can sometimes be a bit tricky) and you've got a very nice piece of kit.

If you're a runner, stop reading now. Over ear headphones are pretty useless when it comes to pounding the pavement, unless you're going really slowly. But even then you'll end up with really sweaty ears.

If, however, you're looking for next-level sound quality whilst you're pushing out your max reps, then over ear headphones are probably the way to go.

The Soul Combat + are specifically designed for exercise, with an ergonomic tight-fitting headband (most of them fall off), interchangeable earpieces and made with a sweat resistant material. They look pretty damn nice as well. There's even a non-tangle cable, although we're sure we'd probably give that a run for its money.

If you're already a fan of in-ear headphones, and are looking to up your game, then the iSport Victory are the way to go. The earhook design may look slightly concerning but once you've got them on you'll realise just how comfortable they are.

They're sweat proof, washable and have one of the most impressive sound qualities you're likely to find in a pair of earbuds. Seriously, we've tried quite a few earplugs over the years and these have been our favourites for a while now.

If you're not looking to fork out the money for the iSport Victory then your next best option are the Seinnheiser CX 686G SPORTS. Basically Seinnheiser make some of the most reliable and consistently performing headsets around today. They're not the cheapest one out there but they're realistic, and you pay for what you get, most of the time.

Antimicrobial ear adapters, a tangle-free cable, extremely pleasing sound quality and a very nice looking design make these well worth the price tag.

They may look a bit like the kind of thing you're dad probably uses to listen to The Archers, but for £25 these earphones are the perfect option if you're trying to save the pennies.

Great sound, splash proof, comfortable and with a handy behind-the-neck cord to keep the wires out of the way. Perfect if you're the kind of person, like us, that generally loses about four pairs of headphones per annum.